StunnaKrypto
Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.
Flyerplesys
Perfectly adorable
Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
Ezmae Chang
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
coo-ee
Bogart and Bacall? No, but this couple is down-to-earth. They're immediately appealing.I've read the previous reviews, and had to laugh at the description of the daughter's relationship being like having something strange on your plate at the restaurant, and how it's distracting. Yes, I admit, it was distracting. But it was distracting in a *good* way.Jurgen Delnaet played Johnny, and was (according to my DVD case), "the hot young lover." Um, yeah, OK. Well, I wouldn't call him that, but he does become sexier as you get to know him, despite his obvious flaws. And Matty, played by Barbara Sarafian, never failed to fascinate me, the way her smile transformed her from sad and worn out to vibrant.I liked this movie. The characters felt familiar despite their foreign language and environment, I cared about them, and I recommend it.
Ray Massart
In many ways this movie that, astonishingly enough, has received some negative reviews, is indeed yet another familiar story about a woman, in this case, Matty, a frustrated mother of three who has been abandoned by her husband for a younger girl and who not only wonders what her life has been all about but particularly what the future holds in store for her now that she has reached the age of forty-one. Her chance encounter with a random trucker as the result of a minor traffic accident signifies a turning point in her life. Johnny, the trucker, is immediately infatuated with this woman who is twelve years his senior and his amorous attempts at seducing her, slowly lead Matty to the realization that not only is she still attractive as a woman but also that deep-down her emotions are still alive. As the story develops, the viewer learns that Johnny has a past and also a drinking problem and that Matty's estranged husband is making attempts to return to his family. Matty is caught in the middle and also has to deal with the ongoing sarcastic comments made by her eldest daughter ( a convincing role excellently performed by Anemone Valcke) Matty however grows stronger and more confident mainly as a result of the animosity between the two male contenders that is often more an expression of immature childish bickering than that of two grown-up males. She encounters more obstacles on the complicated road to self-realization but when in the final scene, we see her walking next to a rail road track and in a flash we are reminded of the vague thoughts she once expressed of ending her life under a train, we are quickly reassured by her convincing smile that although she cannot predict the future, at present, all is well. Barbara Sarafian's portrayal of Matty is excellent.Matty is a real woman but above all a (feminine) person: she worries about her age, her looks, her responsibilities, her future and her alternating feelings of hope and despair are wonderfully reflected in her appearance: at times she radiates real beauty while at others she's just another plain Jane.The men in her life are basically very weak:due to his own feelings of insecurity her husband is very dependent on her and burdens her with responsibilities he dare not (cannot?) take himself while her lover is somewhat too young and playful to be convincingly assertive. Jurgen Delnaet who plays Johnny succeeds brilliantly in portraying the rugged trucker in search of a strong woman who will guide him on his way and Johan Heldenbergh as the husband who's experiencing a mid-life crisis is very convincing. The dialog is natural and the acting of the whole cast, superb. A worthy contribution to modern Flemish film making.
globeyo
This tiresome tale of unattractive non-characters in dreary event-less setting left me hoping for a swift end to the film. But it kept droning on, um, coughing-on, in Flemish for what seemed an eternity. The deathless euro-piano/accordion score fills in the gaps -- and there are many -- between non-story, inane dialog, and truly unwanted nudity.The technical quality of the filming mirrors the writing and acting. Dull, faded colors that might be intended to suggest Soviet-era VHS video -- or just a very low budget. Why any man would be attracted to the dour unappealing female lead is as inexplicable as why anyone would be interested in this film.
Kenneth
The movie sets place in Moscow, a small Belgian town district of Ghent. Matty and Johnny, 2 very common people, collide and the movie starts. From that point on a romantic story starts with a lot of humor and hilarious scenes with genius dialogs which are rare in Belgian movies these days.This movie separates itself from all other Belgian movies by placing the characters up front and their story. That makes the movie so realistic and gives it a personal touch to the audience so they can relate with them. Also the typical dialect of the population in Ghent gives another aspect to this movie. Whereas most Belgian movies are situated in Antwerp this movie takes viewers to another location and another atmosphere which is a welcome relieve for a lot of viewers. I'm giving it 9 out of 10 stars!